Prosecution and defense hint Tuesday at possible plea agreement.

A Hanover man who police allege killed and decapitated his father is competent to stand trial, York County District Attorney Tom Kearney said in court on Tuesday.

Scott Anthony Schaffer, 32, is charged with first- and third-degree murder and abuse of a corpse in the Aug. 1 death of 62-year-old Steven Schaffer.

After reportedly killing his father in the older man's Stock Street home, Schaffer called 911 to report his alleged crime, according to Hanover Police.

Tuesday, Kearney and defense attorney Michael Wiseman told Judge Richard K. Renn that Schaffer had been psychiatrically examined by doctors for both the prosecution and defense. Kearney said the doctors agree Schaffer is mentally competent to stand trial.

Mental competency for a defendant in a courtroom means he is able to understand the nature of the charges against him and is able to assist in his own defense.

Although Tuesday's hearing in the York County Judicial Center was held specifically to set a trial date, both Kearney and Wiseman alluded to a possible conclusion to the case before trial. Kearney told Renn he is meeting with the defendant's and victim's family in January.

Asked by Renn about a possible trial date, Wiseman initially replied, "I hope we won't get to that."

Renn set a trial date for May 12. Schaffer will likely have another pretrial conference in front of Renn before trial.

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Wiseman said, if the case is not settled by then, he might ask Renn for a bench trial.

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